FORMER Geelong forward Shannon Byrnes showed he could be a handy acquisition for Melbourne this year, with five goals in the Demons' intra-club hitout at Cranbourne on Friday.

Byrnes, who played 108 games and in two premierships for the Cats before joining Melbourne as an unrestricted free agent, was a stand-out in the two opening 20-minute quarters, although coach Mark Neeld noted there was still a long time before the season began.

''It's the 15th of February. But he's been really good for us over summer with his leadership and the way he plays,'' Neeld said.

Former Port Adelaide midfielder David Rodan was also lively throughout the match, while the Demons also played their top draft pick from last year, Jimmy Toumpas, along with father-son recruit Jack Viney and young gun Jesse Hogan.

Former Collingwood forward Chris Dawes trained beforehand but took no part in the hitout, which finished with two shorter quarters. Fellow forward Jeremy Howe also sat out the game.